by Lyssa Layne
The taxi drops me off in front of my house. I drop my bags and take a quick shower. I wish Mia were here, but she text me last night letting me know she was staying at her house to start packing things up. My stomach squeezes as the realization that this is really happening hits me. I want it. I want it more than anything, but it just seems too good to be true.
I tug the knit jersey fabric of my shirt over my head and zip my jeans. Sliding on a pair of loafers, I grab the keys to my Corvette. The engine purrs, reminding me of Mia’s delighted noise and I rev it once more, eager to hear her purr-moan again. After reversing, I shift into gear and speed down the street.
My mind is lost in thoughts of what my life will be like this fall with Mia and Toby. He’ll finally have a mom and dad, someone to share in all his school excitement with. Sooner than I realize, I pull into her driveway, surprised to see Asher’s Ferrari parked beside me.
I don’t have a good feeling as I climb the stairs to her front porch. My finger hovers over the doorbell, but my gut tells me to stop. Taking a step to the side, I look through the window and clench my fists at the sight in front of me. The asshole is kissing my woman, my Mia. No, his wife, ex-wife, whatever. It’s obvious she’ll never be over Asher. At this moment, it hits me like a punch is the stomach that Mia will never be mine.
Mia
Asher’s lips devour mine as he pins me against the table in my front foyer. My hands struggle to push his chest away, trying to get him off me. His tongue slides between my lips, parting them as he invades my mouth. His hips push tighter against mine and he grabs my wrists in his hands, easily overpowering me as I can’t move against him. I’ve fought this battle before and I know the more I resist, the worst it will be. Once Asher realizes I’ve given up, he pulls away, smirking.
His index finger runs down my cheek and under my chin. “I think it’s a good idea to sell the house.”
I can feel my heart in my throat and a smile spreading across my face. “Really?”
With a light kiss to my lips, he nods. “I ran the numbers and you’re right, I’ll make double the money.”
My stomach drops. “You’ll make double the money?”
He nods with a cocky grin on his face. “I rewrote the contract so I’ll earn the seventy percent from the sale of the house.”
I push his chest lightly, putting some space between us since he’s loosened his grip on me. “Asher, it’s my house. You may have bought it, but I’m the one that’s put my money into it to fix it up.”
“Amelia, it’s always been our money. Besides, what do you need it for?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.
My heart races as I get the sinking feeling that he knows. Maybe he doesn’t know exactly what I have planned, but he knows something is going on. I can’t fight him on this, because if I do, I’ll blow my cover. I need the money from the sale of the house to start my own business, but what’s a few more months at this point. Once I start my new business and build up clientele, I’ll more than make up the money from the sale so it won’t matter.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, along with my pride, I shrug. “You’re right. Let me see the papers so I can sign and get it listed today.”
Asher’s grin widens as he takes a step away from me. “They’re on your desk at the office.”
I smooth out my skirt and nod. “Great.” I force a smile and kiss his cheek. “I’ll take care of it as soon as I get in.”
Quickly picking up my purse, I walk to the door opening it, not wanting to spend another minute alone with him. He slinks toward me, planting a kiss on my neck before he goes outside. I follow him and watch as he backs out of my driveway. Sitting in my Corvette, I take a deep breath and text Tate: House on market today.
I toss the phone in the passenger seat, knowing Tate probably won’t answer right away since he’s still with the team. Turning up the radio, I switch the station from talk radio to the local pop station. Katy Perry fills my ‘Vette and I grin at how things are finally headed in the right direction. I’m sure this is just the calm before the storm, but soon enough, the storm will be gone.
As I pull into the parking lot at the office, I see Colie pacing outside the doors. I start to turn off the engine but not before the DJ cuts in and announces, “This just in, folks. Stags shortstop Tate James has been in a car accident. Reports are saying he flipped his Corvette going at top speeds on Mulholland Drive. We’ll keep you updated as more details are available.”
My heart sinks as I glance over at Colie who is pulling open my door. I can’t move as my mind races. Is Tate okay? What is he doing back in town? Oh God, what about Toby? Does he know? What if something happens to Tate? Then as it hits me, tears fall down my cheeks. What if I lose him?
Colie’s hands are on mine and I can hear her talking, but have no idea what she’s saying. “Mia, Mia… He’s alive. He’s hurt, but he’s alive. That’s all I know, come on.” Her hands are on either side of my face, trying to get me to focus on her words. She tugs on my hand and in a trance I walk to her car where she has to buckle me into my seat. On the drive to the hospital, my body trembles as tears fall down my cheeks. I don’t break down like this, I tell myself. I’m stronger than this. But my words are of no comfort to me. The thought of losing Tate scares me more than Asher’s backlash any day.
Looking at Colie through blurry vision, I declare, “Colie, I can’t lose him. He’s my world.”
CHAPTER 27
Tate
“You’re lucky, Mr. James. You have a minor concussion, a few bruised ribs, and a strained shoulder,” the doctor informs me.
Sitting in the hospital bed in one of those awful gowns, my head throbs as I hear his words. I guffaw, which, combined with the smell of antiseptic, only makes my head pound louder. “You call that lucky, doc? How long am I out for?”
He pushes his horn rim glasses up his nose, looking at me in a patronizing manner. “Mr. James, have you seen your car? You’re lucky to be alive.”
I close my eyes and see Mia and Asher kissing. I don’t necessarily agree with the doctor at this point. I repeat, “How long am I out for?”
“If you want to play this season, at least two months, maybe back in time for postseason,” the doctor answers and I see him trying to hide his smirk.
“Fuck me,” I mutter. Mia totally screwed me over in more ways than one. I lean my head against the pillow and close my eyes. The pain medicine kicks in and I start to fall away from this nightmare I’m experiencing.
Dreams of Mia fill my head, our past, our present, what could have been our future. Quickly, the thoughts of our future are replaced by images of her and Asher… with Toby. No! What kind of sick nightmare is this? I call out to my son, but he ignores me, leaning into Mia’s arm who strokes his hair lovingly. Asher picks him up and I hear him call him “son.” My body begins to thrash in the bed, trying to get to Toby, to get him away from these people. I can tell I’m getting closer to them as Mia’s vanilla scent hits my nostrils. Her soft skin caresses my forehead.
“Shh, Tate, it’s a nightmare. Wake up, I’m here. It’s okay,” Mia’s soft voice assures me. My body begins to relax at her touch and reassurance.
My eyes flicker open and I take her in. Her hair is pulled back in a tight bun that I’ve never seen before and her make-up is streaking down her cheeks. Am I still dreaming or is this really happening?
Her lips press against my warm forehead and then her head rests on my good shoulder. Her mouth next to my ear, I can hear her mumble, “Thank God you’re alright. I thought I lost you.”
The calm she filled me with is replaced with rage and anger. This nightmare is real. I saw her kissing her ex; she doesn’t want me. What the fuck kind of mind games is this woman playing?
I open my mouth to tell her to get out. Get out of my room, get out of my house, and get the fuck out of my life. When I start to talk, my throat is scratchy and dry. Mia picks up a glass of water and puts the straw in my mouth. I slowly suck on it; the cool water on my t
hroat feels amazing.
Her fingers run through my hair and she has a slight frown on her face which is filled with worry and concern, although I’m not sure why. She whispers softly, “Shh, babe, don’t talk. Just rest and you can tell me everything later.”
I stare into her eyes, wondering how I could let her hurt me so badly. I’ve always guarded myself and my son from women like her. Women who are only after money, fame, sex. Except Mia doesn’t want any of that, she has Asher so this is just some kind of game the two of them must be playing. My head starts to pound again. Too tired to fight my own thoughts, I reach for the button of my pain medicine and give it a long, hard push. Thankfully, it kicks in fast, helping me to escape one nightmare and enter another.
Mia
Tate struggles to reach a bowl in the cabinet with his right arm, which isn’t in a sling. I watch from the doorway, wondering when and if I should offer my help. In the two weeks since his accident, he hasn’t spoken to me other than a grunt or to tell me he can do it himself. I know it’s hard for him to be dependent on someone and especially to be out of work. He refuses to sleep in bed with me, claiming he sleeps better sitting up in his recliner. I sigh and walk across the room, retrieving the bowl and setting it on the counter.
“I can do it myself,” Tate grumbles.
“I know.”
Tate’s hand grips the counter and I see him clench his jaw. I start to leave the room when he speaks again. “I can do all of this on my own, Mia. You can leave.”
My heart does a double beat and I spin around. Walking back to him, I put my hand on his back. “Tate, I’m not going anywhere. I know you can do this all on your own, but I want to help you.”
His head ticks and he turns to face me. “Mia, I want you out of my house and out of my life.”
My head starts to spin and I move against the counter to support myself. “Wh…why?”
He looks up at me, anger filling every feature of his face. When he speaks, it’s in a low and even voice, almost a growl. “I saw you kissing Asher. I don’t know what the fuck you two are up to, but I don’t want to be a part of it.”
Kissing Asher? When was I… “The day of the crash? Is that why you were driving erratically?”
“It doesn’t matter how or why I was driving, Mia. Get your shit and get out.”
“I wasn’t kissing him.”
Tate scoffs. “Sure as hell looked like it to me.”
I take a deep breath, now is the time to tell him about my past if I want to keep him. Shaking, I hold out my hand, which he stares at and scowls. “Tate, the least you can do is let me explain before you kick me out.”
My heart already hurts at the thought of not having Tate and Toby in my life. All I can do now is tell him the truth and he can decide from there. Without taking my hand, he turns and takes a seat at the kitchen table. Following him, I sit beside him and rub my hands on my skirt, trying to stop them from shaking.
“I don’t know what you saw, but what you obviously missed was Asher holding my hands against my chest so I couldn’t push him away, his hips pinning mine against the table. Tate, I haven’t voluntarily kissed Asher in years.”
Tate looks up, anger still there, but behind his blue eyes, I can see a bit of compassion. “Fuck, Mia, I’m so sorry.” He drags his good hand down his face and I know he’s beating himself up inside.
I shake my head. “It’s not your fault. We put on a good show. I’ve learned how to deal with Asher’s antics over the years and know how to escape them with getting hurt the least. To the outside, we have the perfect relationship, which Asher believes brings in customers. It’s why he granted me the divorce, to keep me happy, but he kept control of every aspect of my life.” I look down, ashamed and embarrassed at the truth, wondering how Tate can continue to have any respect for me.
Tate balls up his fist and lets loose a spew of curse words, some that I’ve never even heard before. If Asher ever did this in front of me, I’d be fearing the worst, but with Tate, I know his anger isn’t directed at me. His fingers pull my chin up and he looks into my eyes. “I feel like an ass, I’m so sorry.” He tugs me to stand up and sit in his lap. I rest my head on his good shoulder, this being the most intimate we’ve been since before the accident. His voice is right next to my ear. Almost growling again, he asks, “Has he ever…hurt you?”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, not wanting to admit this because I’m afraid of what Tate will do, but I’m being honest so I nod. “For a long time,” I whisper.
Tate’s hand tightens around my waist and he cusses under his breath. I can tell he’s restraining his anger so he doesn’t scare me. Before I lose the nerve, I continue with my story. “When our business took off and he got the taste of money and power, he changed. He wasn’t the Asher I fell in love with, he slept around… a lot and started being abusive for any reason at all. His suit was at the cleaner’s, I could’ve made more profit on a sale, it was my time of the month…”
I take a deep breath, forcing myself to go on. “I stopped by our house one afternoon and found him in our bed with our housekeeper… in my lingerie. I tried to leave before he saw me, but it was too late. As I was running down the hallway, his grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled me back, slamming me into the wall. He hit me so hard that I fell to the ground where he kicked me repeatedly. He didn’t stop until I couldn’t move anymore and then he went back and finished with her. Somehow,” I wipe away the tears falling down my cheeks and continue, “somehow, I found a way to get outside. I took a cab to Angels Among Us where I met Arlene. My face was so mangled that I was unrecognizable for three days.”
Tate’s grip gets even stronger around me and I can feel his jaw tense as it rests against my head. “Mia, why didn’t you tell me? I’m going to kill the bastard. He’ll never hurt you again.”
I sit up and take his face in my hands. “No, Tate, you have too much to lose,” I insist, thinking about Toby.
He nods. “You’re right, I can’t lose you.”
A fresh set of tears well up in my eyes as I hug him tightly then pull away to tell him my plan. “I’ve been saving money to leave our business and start fresh on my own. New business, new place, new identity… I wanted to save a few more months, but with moving in with you, I won’t have to worry about money for a new place so I think I can start my new business sooner rather than later. I’ll pay you back as soon as I can, I promise. I just have to sell my house and it’s the final tie with Asher. After that, he can have everything else of mine… my bank accounts, my half of our business. I just want to be done with him… forever.”
Tate nods. “You don’t owe me anything, Mia. You’ve given Toby and I more than any money in the world could buy. I want you to be safe with me. If you think this plan will work, I’ll leave him alone…for now. But if he ever as much as breaks your nail, I’m not making any promises that I won’t kill him.” Tate lets out a low growl at the end of his statement and I know he means every bit of what he just said.
CHAPTER 28
Mia
Soggy cereal milk sloshes over the edge of Toby’s bowl as he carries it to the sink. Grabbing a towel, I wipe it up and pat his shoulder. “Thanks, now go grab your backpack so we aren’t late.”
“Sure, Mia,” he says happily, giving my legs a quick hug as he runs down the hall.
Tate’s arms slide around my waist and he kisses my neck. “Have I told you thank you?”
My body tingles at his touch and I smile as I lean back against his body. “For what?” I ask playfully.
“For that thing you did last night in bed,” he says in a low whisper as he grins and spins me around. “And for helping me out with Toby… and for loving us.”
Our eyes lock as he says that last part and I smile, nuzzling my nose against his. “Of course, babe, I’d do anything for you…and your son.”
His eyes light up and his grin gets even bigger as he nods. “Our son, Mia. Toby is our son.”
My heart soars as he sa
ys that and Toby runs back into the room, announcing that he’s ready to go. Tate scoops him up, his shoulder is mostly healed a month after the wreck. He carries our son to the Expedition we recently purchased to replace Tate’s Corvette. Not to mention, kindergarteners don’t fit very well in Corvettes and I refuse to drive Tate’s truck.
Toby buckled in, Tate leans in my window and gives me a kiss. I sigh as I feel his tongue roll over mine and my eyes lazily close. Tate presses on with intensity, my body buzzing and wanting him with every fiber of my being. My eyes flutter open as Tate pulls away, grinning.
“Have a good day,” he taunts.
I shake my head. “You too. Don’t forget, today is the closing for my house so Colie will pick Toby up from school, but I should be home by five.”
Tate’s eyes narrow. “Do you need me there?”
Ever since I told him the truth about Asher, he’s become overprotective. I’ve never had a man be protective of me, much less overly. I’ve done everything I can to avoid Asher in the past month and make sure we weren’t alone at the office together. So far, it’s worked out well and after we sign the official papers today, I plan on telling Asher next week that I’m leaving the company for good…with Tate by my side.
I shake my head and give him a quick kiss. “I’ll be fine. There will be lots of people there. After we celebrate tonight, we’ll figure out our game plan for next week.”
He nods apprehensively. “Alright, babe, but text me as soon as it’s done.”
Agreeing, I back out of the driveway as Tate waves to both of us. My heart swells with love as Toby’s squeaky little voice tries to belt out the words coming through the radio. Today is going to be a good day. It’s the start of the rest of my life with Tate and Toby and the finale of it with Asher.
After I drop Toby off at school, I get to work and submerge myself in contracts and listings trying to keep myself busy. The day flies by and it isn’t until I hear Asher clear his throat that I glance at the clock and realize it’s time for the closing. Nervously, I follow him to the conference room where everyone is waiting for us.
